Invasive mint (HELP!)

17 years ago

Hello, I have about an acre (spread out over a couple of acres, orchard, lawn, vegetable garden, ditches, etc.) of invasive mint growing. It isn't even tasty! A few years ago we tried using RoundUp (2 applications), with no success whatsoever, and we've been simply ripping it out since then. But it's not physically possible to get even half of it. I've tried mowing a couple of patches for the past 3 years, with no change at all, except that the plants make a dense carpet, now, instead of a 2-foot-high field. I am reluctant to try RoundUp again; I have read too many risks and concerns associated with it. I have heard of a product called BurnOut, but cannot find it here in Vancouver's lower mainland, and don't know very much about it. Does anybody have any advice at all? The mint has made it impossible to keep a garden here, as its rhizomes are EVERYWHERE. HELP!!! And thank you very much, in advance.

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Comments (12)

bonniepunch
17 years ago
My favourite way to keep mint under control:

1-2 large sprigs of mint
1 lime, quartered
1 tbsp granulated golden sugar
2 oz dark rum
soda water
ice

Mix in a large glass, and enjoy.

:-)

Seriously though - mint is hell to get rid of in a patch as large as yours is. It's going to take a few years of intensive warfare to really be rid of it. Nothing will work as a one time application.

I assume that your ground is now thawed and that it is sprouting? I would go out and pull up as much as I could find right now. At this time of year the runners aren't strongly rooted and you can get a lot of them out for not much effort. They will be mostly in the top inch or two of soil, or even on the surface. That'll put a serious dent in it.

I am not a fan of herbicide use in landscaping, as they all have possible negative effects, and some can be quite serious. BurnOut is a very strong acetic acid (like vinegar, but 5 times stronger)with clove oil and other things thrown in - it can cause eye and lung irritation. It is also almost useless against established weeds. But it is still a better choice than Roundup. I'll take a look at some of the places I have bookmarked and see if anyone has it.

Roundup has been shown to damage human placental cells and can cause spontaneous abortion and premature birth. It also can kill beneficial predators like parasitic wasps, lacewings and ladybugs. Roundup is only effective when the plant is actively growing, and with something like an extensive mint patch, it'll be throwing your money away unless you do it repeatedly.

My advice is to pull up as much as you can see every spring and keep at it - keeping at it is the only way with mint, no matter what was you chose, unfortunately.

If you have kids, or neighbourhood kids, you could offer a bounty on mint - a few bucks for a garbage bag or basket full...

BP
welham
17 years ago
There is a flame torch you can use for serious weeds. I've never used it - just read about it in gardening books.

Lakshmi

Here is a link that might be useful: Weed Dragon
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ianna
17 years ago
Goodness. This sounds desperate. This is a huge area and I cannot even imagine using herbicides used on such a large area. I'm not a great fan of herbicides either because of carcinogenic risks.

Can you tackle it in portions? Like attend to one part and gradually work the entire area?

Have you tried to block it's access to sunlight. The method is similar to killing off areas of grass. Take thick black plastic (which solarizes the soil) and cover large areas with it. You could top dress that with soil. Leave it this way for several weeks. I would even dig a deep trench in between the 'cleaned up' area and the still affected area. Mints will spread by sending out roots and therefore create a trench to prevent the roots from reinvading the area.

Ianna
qjtrinh
17 years ago
Good ideas here, thanks all. I hate plucking these myself so these tips are very useful :)
jroot
17 years ago
I have the same problem here, but on a much smaller scale. Pineapple mint:( Looks pretty, smells bad, tastes worse, spreads like crazy. I intend to dig up as much as I can, as suggested by Bonnie. One has to be careful though. If one breaks off one of those roots, they start a new plant. I am considering boiling water.

I did get rid of a bad case of poison ivy with landscape material and then covering it with about a foot of soil. That is similar to the idea expressed by ianna.

Good luck. You'll need it.
triple_b
17 years ago
How about a real estate sign in the front lawn? Just kidding but sometimes it's temping ain't it? How many times have I moved to a different place, different garden and wondered what kind of garden thugs awaited to engage in battle in their quest for world domination. There's one -or more- in every yard it seems. I feel for ya. For me it is bindweed, or perennial morning glory.
yugoslava
17 years ago
Organic gardeners use vinegar. This is not same stuff one gets at supermarket. I was told it is about five times stronger and it's used for cleaning. In Toronto, it is sold as an alternative to chemical household cleaners. I haven't used it yet but people report good results. You must remember not to inhale when spraying.
jroot
17 years ago
Now that is an interesting idea. Thanks.
bonniepunch
17 years ago
Acetic acid is the relevant chemical. You can buy some at some health food stores as a cleaner, as mentioned, or you can buy a specially marketed product for plants - it's called BurnOut (see my earlier post). strong acetic acid can cause eye and lung irritation, so one needs to be careful applying it. It is not very effective against established weeds :-(

If one is able to pull the majority of whatever is plaguing you, then this might be a good thing to combat the stragglers, but it's probably not going to put much of a permanent dent in a yard full of mint. Of course some plants are more sensitive to some chemicals, so it might be worth a try to test a small area and see what effect it has.

BP
triple_b
17 years ago
Time to buy a spring lamb and make some potatoes and mint jelly. And invite all your friends.
woodgnome
17 years ago
or maybe a goat or two. actually a herd of sheep sounds better ;)
triple_b
17 years ago
Hmmm, if the sheep ate the mint, would the meat be already flavored?

Invasive mint (HELP!)

Comments (12)

bonniepunch

welham

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